Orange-sizing machine.



J. W. STBVENSON. ORANGE SIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILED'MAR.10, 1910.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[NVE TOR WITNESSES A? 190% lb mm. mm.

J. W.'STEVBNSON.

ORANGE SIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1910 974,720. Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

2 BHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES 20, 'm. X li nu: mmms PBTB'RS cov, WASHINGTDN. n. c.

human stains Parana onnron.

JAMES W. STEVENSON, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOISAAC A. HOLEIVIAN, 0F RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

ORANGE-SIZING MACHINE.

cameo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application filed March 10, 1910. Serial No. 548,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES W. STEVENSON, citizen of the United States,residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orange-Sizing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in orange sizing machines andit has for its object to provide means for the grading of fruit ofdifferent sizes from a substantially inverted V-shaped belt, and beltcarriers, the former traveling over the latter and delivering the fruitinto a'multiple number of adjustable bins which are also correspondinglyinclined by means of suit-able mechanism especially adapted for thepurposes intended, said bins being arranged in series and looated uponeach side of a centrally disposed beam, the beam and bins being securedto the framework of the machine; and a further object of the inventionis to simplify, improve and cheapen the cost of the construction of thisclass of machines over the existing prior state of the art.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more indetail described and the asserted novelty specifically claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanyingdrawings in which;

Figure 1 is a longitudinal plan view of my machine. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the same on the line ZZ of Fig. 1, and Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view partly broken away.

Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the severalfigures.

A designates the framework of. a machine composed of a longitudinal beama having an upper reduced portion a, the underside of which is seatedand centrally secured also in a reduced portion of one or more slightlyinclined rafters a by means of bolts a4 and nuts 0?, the upper portionsof the bolts being passed through an opening made midway the length of amultiple number of cross ties or smaller transverse beams. Secured attheir lower, and between the outer and free ends of these cross ties orsmaller beams a and the outer ends of a multiple number of invertedsubstantially V-shaped belt carriers a clearly shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 are the lower ends of uprights a a, a. To the upper ends of saiduprights are secured transverse bars or cross ties o for supporting a.paper rack or cull conveyer. In the apex of each of the invertedsubstantially V-shaped belt carriers are formed notches or grooves as atb, more clearly shown in Fig. 2. These notches or grooves in the beltcarriers are in alinement with each other and run the full length of themachine and which are for a purpose that will be hereinafter explained.

B, B, B, B, designate gage rod supports and adjustable gage rods, theformer B, B, being secured to the upper portions and inner faces of theuprights and provided with perforations Z), 6 through which acorresponding number of long and short bolts 0, 0 are passed, said boltsbeing provided with the usual nuts thereon, the nuts of the long boltsbeing threaded and provided with slotted clamping plates. These clampingplates are centered and countersunk into the heads of the bolts in sucha manner as to admit of the bolts being turned with a wrench to raiseand lower the gage rods and at the same time holding the bolts and gagerods firmly in position upon their upper ends which are bent over inopposite directions clamping the cross ties or bars a, the shorter boltshaving their upper ends passed through the slots in the clamping platesof the longer bolts, the gage rods are adjustable, and made in sectionsand are also provided with perforations d which are in alinement withthe perforations in the gage rod supports to admit of the gage rodsbeing vertically adjusted relatively with the gage rod supports to allowof the varying sizes of fruit to pass through the openings under thegage rods which lead to adjustable bins secured to the framework of themachine.

C, C designate pulleys peripherally inclined from the center outwardlyand down wardly and secured to short axles C, C which are j ournaled inbearings D, D, D, D, secured to the ends of the machine, and centrallydisposed over these pulleys are a multiple number ofsprocket teeth whichmesh with a sprocket chain which will be presently described, and overthese pulleys and the belt carriers a a a 66 travels an endless belt E,and as it travels over the belt carriers conforms in shape to saidcarriers and upon this belt the fruit is laid preparatory to the sizingthereof and its passage through the openings under the gage rods.

F designates an endless sprocket chain secured to the main belt E andinterposed between the upper and lower portions of this ,belt, saidsprocket chain being adapted to 7 travel over the pulleys C, C, with themain the belt carriers.

G, G, designate strips of rubber or felt secured in any suitable mannerto the lower inside corners which are rounded at these points of thegage rods B, B, for preventing damage to the fruit as it passes downeach side of the belt E and through the openings below the gage rods.

H, H, designate suitably sized sliding or adj ustable blocks, the lowerinner edges of which are tongued on the lower edge and projected ingrooves formed in the upper edges of the belt carriers. These sliding oradjustable blocks are for the purpose of regulating the openings, alsobelow the gage rods, in a longitudinal direction and preventing thefruit from striking the frame-work of the machine and can be moved withthe movable bin boards, thus causing the fruit to fall into the properbin. The bins can be made of any desirable width and more packerscan'work on the same size fruit. The lower frame is made such that ifthe division boards should be taken out it would be one bin. "Whennecessary to tighten the bottom of the machine a short piece of gas pipeor round bar of iron may be used.

I, I, designate centrally disposed longitudinal side boards securedbetween the longitudinal beam a and the inner ends of bin boards bymeans of angle irons i, i, and the inner bent ends of small rods 2", '5secured to the upper edges and inner ends of bin boards.

J, J, designate longitudinal outer end boards of the bins which aresecured to the upper and reduced portions of a suitable number ofsupporting legs K, K, upon which the machine is mounted.

L, L, designate adjustable laterally disposed division boards, saidboards having an adjustability lengthwise of the machine which variesthe size or capacity of the several bins as occasion demands.

M, M, designate blocks of wood slidable in longitudinally grooved stripsM M secured to the rafters a of the machine, pieces being let out of theupper edges of the rafters for that purpose and in which they areseated, and between the upper edges of these blocks and the lower edgesof the longitudinal side boards I, I, and J, J, the bottoms of the binsare secured which consists of a heavy piece of duck material. Eitherside of this duck material is nailed to short strips of wood the entirelength of the machine, these are slidable under the central bin boards Iand outer bin boards J. Under the duck material and inside of the stripsis a stringer running lengthwise of the machine. This keeps the duckmaterial or cloth tight sidewise and when the gas pipe Windlass isturned to tighten the duck material or cloth these short strips towhichthe material or cloth is nailed moves endwise with the cloth. To theinner faces of the longitudinal side boards J, J, there is securedpadding 9%, m,

of felt or any suitable material adapted for the purpose which is toprevent the fruit from getting bruised when they roll down to the outerside boards of the bins or machine. i V

Upon the application of any suitable motor adapted for the purpose tothe machine the operating mechanism is readily put in motion, the fruitbeing previously laid upon the endless belt regardless of the size ofthe fruit, and as the belt is carried around by the pulleys from end toend of the machine the different sized fruit is brought to the openingslocated upon either side of the machine and rolls down the doubleinclined belt to said openings, the openings being adjusted through themedium of the gage rods and blocks relatively to each other by means ofthe long screw-bolts and slidably adjustable blocks which admit thepassage of the fruit according to size to drop within the inclined binsof difierent sizes secured to the machine upon'each side of the doubleinclined belt, each bin receiving the dilferent sized fruit ready forpacking and transpon tation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with thecentrally disposed longitudinal beam, bins disposed upon each side ofsaid beam; of the frame-work secured to and located upon the uppersurface of the beam composed of uprights long and short ties,substantially V-shaped inverted belt carriers, notched at their apices,an endless belt supported by said belt carriers, a sprocket chainsupported in notched apices of the belt carriers and attached to theunder surface of the endless belt, gage rods and gage rod supports,adjusting screws for adjusting the gage rods, adjustable blocks locatedbelow the gage rods by means of which and the adjusting screws the sizeof the openings are diminished or enlarged to admit of the passage ofdifferent sized fruit therethrough to the bins.

2. The combination with the inverted substantially V shaped beltcarriers having notches in their apices, rectangular supportingframework upon which the carriers are supported, a longitudinal beamsupporting the framework, and supporting rafters secured to theunderside and ends of the longitudinal and centrally disposed beam, binsdisposed upon each side of the longitudinal beam, and secured to, andsupported upon the bin supporting rafters; of an endless belt, asprocket chain secured to the under side of said belt, and operativelypassed within the notches of, and over the carriers, sprocket-wheelssecured to, and mounted peripheries which take in the sprocket chain, 15

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my 111 presence of two witnesses.

JAS. W. STEVENSON.

signature Witnesses FROST STEVENSON, CHAS. HORTON.

